air force test

Here's a little test for you. They say fighter pilots can do it for 2 minutes, but that you are brilliant if you can do it for 18 seconds. Have a try at it! The link is http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html

Bret and I camping near Lake Mead

CLICK HERE to see the pictures from kirkandcherrie.blogspot.com

8

Susan is pregnant. Which means we will soon have . . . um . . . a lot of children. Best guestimate: 10/10/2008, which is Taiwan's "Double 10 Day", similar to our 4th of July--but Jeffrey probably already knew that. (Go, Benny! I still cannot do puzzles.)

Gush

I keep thinking I ought to blog, but can't think of much interesting to say. Our most exciting news always seems to be the cold extreme weather of North Dakota, or Ben being so overworked we pray the end of this assignment will end soon. What else can we tell you without being too boring?
The boys are doing great. They are so full of energy but are learning so much. Jeffrey makes breakfast by himself nearly every morning and does a great job. William is in charge of the dogs and does so well. Abel wanted something to be in charge of too, so he is now in charge of snack time. They all help cut and gather wood for our stove and even take out the garbage! It is fun to watch them grow up and learn responsibility. Jeffrey is obssessed with China lately. He has a chinese art kit and is learning the ways of their art, and he reads books and learns everything he can about China. We keep meaning to call David Benge on a weekend to see if he can teach Jeffrey a few words. Dallin is in his 3-year-old possessive state, but is sweet and says the sweetest prayers. Benny Walker is as adorable as anything you can imagine. He already does puzzles, which amazes me and he jabbers all the time, with a smile that is contagious.
Anyway, I really just wrote to say how much we miss all of you. We love you all.

We are finally part of the blog WOOHOO!

Photo Sharing

Just sitting here thinking about sharing photos. I love to see the pictures, but often don't know where to save them or what to do with them.

Web spaces for photos are becoming popular, such as Flickr (a Yahoo product, needing a Yahoo account), PicasaWeb (Google) and KodakGallery. Flickr seems to be a leader and has some good options, such as (as far as I can tell) unlimited storage--although there is a monthly upload limit--and an option to upload photos to a standard size allowing 4X6 printing for "friends" and "family" invitees. Picasa and PicasWeb use Google and gmail accounts, so it is easy to have all of us invited and able to use the space, and there is currently a 1 gig limit for pictures, which seems like plenty. Kodak has a buhzillion printing and product options, but looks like they want a yearly purchase.

Anyway, I am wondering what, if anything, any of you use. Is there an advantage or preferrence you know about? If so, please reply to this post. Also, if you do have such a site, could you share the link and let us know how to get an account? I could add the link to the right side here. Is anyone interested in me setting up something with Picasa where we could share photos using this account?

9-11.....Watch Out!

FYI. i now have an official due date. Yup. 9-11-08. we'll see what really happens...
the raspberry looks fine thus far. and i'm not as sick as last week...and overall not as sick as i was with porter....so far anyway. we still have a ways to go.

President Hinckley's Viewing

Since I am right downtown, and they have special times for employees to attend the viewing to alleviate security and attendance pressures, I went to his viewing today in the Conference Center. I have very few experiences of relatively close proximity to this prophet, but I have had a few--for which I am extremely grateful. I am sure he is very, very happy where he now is, but I miss him.

Anyway, I wanted to share an experience a co-worker of mine had at the viewing early this morning. He brought his family down. Elder Richard G. Hinckley was there. He approached and shook hands with his young son and said (quoting from memory, but this is close), "I am President Hinckley's son, and I appreciate you getting up so early to come here." Nice!

FYI, I hope you like the new layout. I didn't care too much for the old one and thought I would try something new.

weather and chaos

The title may be a bit extreme. However, I thought you may feel very pleased to live in Utah or Arizona right now. I would take a picture, but it could not do justice anyhow. The winds are gusting at about 50 mph. The temperature is -3 ambient, with windchills around 50 below! It is quite exciting. If you open the door, the snow blows in and covers the floor instantly. We don't get as much pretty snow as you, but it sure is dramatic. And to add to the choas of this weather. Ben is gone on alert, leaving me and all the boys sick with the flu at home. If that's not bad enough, I tried to start a fire and smoke came billowing through every crack of the chimney! Our house was filled with smoke. (I guess you can't just light a fire with a cold chimney and a backdraft blowing through. You have to heat it up slowly with paper until the draft sucks upward! Live and learn.) Anyhow, with it being so gusty and cold, there's not a great way to vent either, so we just laid around upstairs and hope the smoke will somehow vent through tiny cracks in the walls! I know it all sounds horribly sad, but can't you just picture Grandma Walker or Aunt Winnell telling this story. At the moment it was quite frustrating, but already it makes me laugh. And why does it seem that such things always happen when we are already sick, or spouse is gone, or both! We love you all and hope you are warm wherever you are!

Official Announcement

so, it's a bit early for an official announcement, but....i ended up begging daryl's family for help. i'm not throwing up much, but had a couple of days where i couldn't get off the couch (and all evenings are really hard)...and daryl is in school 2 nights a week, so he doesn't come home at all. i had to get someone to come play with porter, make him a good meal, and vacuum my carpet!
anyway, baby johnson looks to be due around the middle of september. i have an ultrasound on february 1st and will know much more then, since i'm only 7 weeks now.
but, since i had to tell daryl's family, i decided i'd just make it official for all family members.

medical update

In December, when I saw Dr. Benowitz, he ordered a variety of blood tests which were done that same day.  He also ordered a glucose test, a bone density test, and scans of my parathyroid.   Yesterday I had the glucose and bone test.  This morning I had the scans and then went straight to the office for another visit with the doctor.  My blood sugar level is not normal - it is up.  It was normal in September, but is not so now.  (Interesting that it could change so quickly.)  My calcium &  parathyroid hormone levels are still up indicating there is a problem there, but they are not dangerously high.

 We are not going to do anything about the parathyroid right now.  Doctor is waiting for the results of the scans and also a test to see if I carry the gene for MEN (multiple endocrine neoplasia).  This gene test takes 2-3 months.   In the meantime, I am not in an emergency situation.   Bone density is good, no sign of loss.   My heart is back to beating normally - why it ever went crazy is unknown.   I am to return to primary care physician.  Work on the blood sugar and lose "lots of weight".   

I will see the doctor in 4 months.   If I test positive to the gene for MEN, surgery will probably not be an option because all 4 parathyroid glands are probably a problem and they cannot all be removed.   If it comes out negative, and only one gland is involved, then I will probably have surgery to remove it before it causes more problems.

That is the latest.  I am feeling okay and I know losing weight will help me feel much better and I am sure that the doctor is wise in telling me to get some weight off.

We send our love to all of you.     

Mom

PS  Why won't this blog keep my paragraphs separated like I separate them?  I don't write mile-long paragraphs.

Hello all and Surprise.

I have actually been to this blog and read and read and caught up on some things that I never heard, or at least don't remember hearing.    It has been fun.   

Now that we have high speed stuff, we will try to start posting our letters here.

To start off,  today I was scheduled to be to my endocrinologist's office at 9 a.m. for some tests - his office is by LDS hospital.  We left here at 7:10 as it was snowing, so we knew it would be a slow drive.   As we drove, we listened to the road reports.  They continued to mention that the traffic at the point of the mountain was just stopped and not even moving.  The snow plows couldn't get through and it was a total mess from point of the mountain to Bangerter highway,  both north and south.   They also informed us that is was going to continue to snow and that roads were bad everywhere.   As we approached Lehi, we decided to just turn around and not even try to make the appointment.   When we arrived home, I called and left a message that I was not going to be in.   I will call later and reschedule.

We love you all.  Enjoy the snow.

Mom

From Dad (Photo from about 1947)

My brother Jim sent this to me. Does the little girl on the left look like Lily? Does anyone see any resemblance to Grandma Benge or Grandpa Porter Benge? Does the little boy on the right look like he could be anyone's grandpa?

Competing with North Dakota

We got at least 18 inches of snow up here today. I thought we already had plenty. If it wasn't for my kind-hearted neighbor and his snow blower, we would be in serious trouble. Apparently, this is not a rare occurrence--it snows like this every few years. (FYI, it snowed another 6 to 8 inches after the picture of me by our mailbox.)

Note from Tara

You probably all got this, but here is a note from Tara:

Hello Dear friends and family! We will be blessing Derek on Sunday, January 6th in our ward at 9 a.m. We have reserved our clubhouse afterwards for a little get together/potluck. Please RSVP to me and let me know if you'll be able to make it. We hope to see you all there!
Merry Christmas!!!

Jim & Lizzie Benge

This site has some Benge genealogy, including the above picture of Jim and Lizzie (James and Eliza), two of their (gulp) 15 children, and one grandchild. Jim and Lizzie are in the front with one of Thenie's (she is the pregnant lady in the back right of the photo) children. Thenie is their 15th and last child. Henry (#10) is in the back left of the photo. See any resemblance?

Lizzie was a Benge before marrying Jim. They are 2nd cousins once removed.

You know, that little kid's hair does sort of look like mine . . .

Happy Thanksgiving

We wanted to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. We wish were with family. Ben is in the capsule today, but we got permission to go have lunch with him! How many people get to have Thanksgiving at a nuclear launch facility? It will be a day to remember.
We love you all.

Sundry Benge Stuff

Isaac was ordained a Deacon last week, and I was set apart as the YM 2nd Counselor and Asst. Scout Master. Neither of us know what we are doing.

I am now a Church employee. I hope that is good.

Rachel turns 1 today.

And that pretty much does it.

This is an old Bob Newhart recording that I think teaches the Word of Wisdom in a funny way.

Here is some interesting math, if you want to try it:

YOUR AGE BY DINER & RESTAURANT MATH

It takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read. Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out! This is not one of those waste of time things; it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757 ... If you haven't, add 1756

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born

You should have a three digit number.

The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week) The next two numbers are YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

Princess meets Little Shaolin (see more pictures at our blog)